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E. N. NECKEL COLLAR HOLDER Jan. 31, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 14, 1953 INVENTOR.

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lrlli E. N- NECKEL COLLAR HOLDER Jan. 31, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 14, 1953 INVENTOR. [dim/11d A Nec/(e/ Fig 9 United States Patent O COLLAR HOLDER Edmund N. Neckel, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 14, 1953, Serial No. 348,693

Claims. (Cl. 223--52.1)

This invention relates to improvements in collar holders, with particular relation to holders of this nature incorporated in apparatus for folding or finishing laundered articles of apparel. It is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application for Automatic Shirt Folder, Serial No. 259,764, filed December 4, 1951, now U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,665,039, granted January 5, 1954.

Said co-pending application discloses and claims means for receiving and folding a laundered shirt, wherein the complete folding operation proceeds to completion under automatic control after the shirt is laid on the folding table in prearranged manner, with the shirt collar dressed around the collar holder.

While the collar holder herein disclosed and claimed is well adapted for a folding apparatus such as shown in the aforesaid co-pending application, its desirable features can be utilized for any type of apparatus wherein a garment collar needs to be securely held, although readily attachable and removable.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved collar holder, or collar block as it is termed in the trade, which holds the collar in stand-up position but prevents the collar from slipping off the block when the operator pulls the garment flat on the work table.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from a study of the following specification, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a collar supporting and retaining means, adapted for power (or non-manual) operation.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view looking upward from beneath the collar block.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, somewhat enlarged, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 (or Fig. 8).

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view, showing a portion of Fig. 4 still further enlarged.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view showing a simple manually operated folding machine equipped with a collar block embodying my invention. i

Fig.7 is a top plan view of the folding table of Fig.6.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view, somewhat enlarged, showing the collar block portion of the folding machine of Figs. 6 and 7.

Fig. 9 is a view looking upward from beneath Fig. 8.

In the above listing of figures, Figs. 1 and 2 were respectively Figs. 7 and 8 of my U. S. Patent No. 2,665,039, hereinabove mentioned, and Fig. 4 herein is substantially identical with Fig. 9 of said co-pending application. Figs. 6 to 9 herein disclose a simple folding machine having the same type of collar block, but with its operating means slightly modified for manual (or foot-pedal) operation.

in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3 the collar block is maintained in contracted position by a fluid power motor ltl, as will appear, and is expanded by the bias of a spring 11 when fluid power to the motor is cut olf.

The collar form comprises two front bands 12 and 13, of a height somewhat greater than the average collar, each having a hinged connection on a movable carrier 14. Car rier 14 has a pin 14a extending through a slot 15 in the base plate 16 and connected to a slide 17 (Fig. 3) which is linked by a bracket 18 to the connecting rod 19 of piston 20 in motor It will be observed that when power is admitted to motor 10 the connecting rod 19 and slide 17 move to the left in Fig. 3, that is to say to the right in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to move carrier 14 along slot 15.

There are two additional carriers 23 and 24 movable in respective slots 25 and 26 in the base plate. Since they work simultaneously and in the same manner, description of the operation of one will sufiice. Carrier 24 is pinned to a sliding member 27 in slot 25, which member in turn has a downwardly extending pin 28 slidingly retained in the bifurcated end of a bell crank lever 29 pivoted at 30 beneath the base plate (Fig. 2). The other end of the bell crank lever is also bifurcated to slidingly retain a pin 31 in slide 17. As the slide is moved either by motor 20, or spring 11, both of the bell crank levers 29 and 32 are operated to cause carriers 23 and 24 to move either towards or away from each other.

" spring 11, through its effect on slide 17, biases the carriers to expanded position.

Carriers 23 and 24 have affixed thereto respective flexible metal bands 34- and 35. of a height similar to that of bands 12 and 13, heretofore described, and said carriers are also provided with respective guide slots 23a and 24a to receive the ends of bands 12 and 13. A fixed guide block 36 of L-shaped vertical sectional contour (Fig. 4) is mounted on the base plate, and it carries a second L-shaped guide plate 37 nested in block 36, and fixed thereto, the vertical legs of the block and the plate being slightly spaced so that the free straight end of band 34 may slide between block 36 and plate 37, and the free straight end of band35 may slide between plate 37 and a fixed guide member 38. The juxtaposition of members 34, 35, 36 and 37 is best seen in the enlarged fragmentary view, Fi g. 5. In this view also it may be observed that the top edge of plate 3'7 is turned outward to provide a retaining lip 37a, overlying band 35. When the block is contracted by admission of power to motor 20 through valve 39 and pipe 4a, the operator dresses the buttoned collar 41 (broken line showing in Fig. 4) around bands 12, 13, 34 and 35, and under the retaining lip 37a, and this lip establishes sufiicient resistance to upwardslippage to enable the shirt to be drawn out smooth.

Since the bands 12, 13, 34 and 35 are flexible, their free ends move to contracted or expanded positions in their respective guide slots while retaining a suitable shape to support a collar. When the collar is dressed as described the air is vented either by an operator or by a suitable valve operating means in an automatic cycle, and the spring 11 biases the carrier blocks and the flexible bands outwardly to frictionally grip the inner surface of the collar. in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, which is adapted to operate as'part of theautomatic cycle of a folding machine, air from source pipe 43 (Fig. 3) is cut oil by depression of a tab 44 of a bell crank lever arm 45 pivoted at 46. The other arm 45a of the crank is adapted to move a plunger 47 which cuts off air to valve 39 and permits spring 11 to take over the control as aforesaid, and expand the collar block. Towards the close of the folding cycle, the push rod 43 is operated by automatic means not herein shown (but disclosed in my aforesaid U. S. Patent No. 2,665,039) to reverse the position of the bell crank 45, admit air to motor 10, and contract the collar block for receiving the collar of the next shirt.

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 show essentially the same collar block, adapted to a simpler type of folding machine wherein the folding operations are all performed manu- As may be observed,

'itll'y, and-it: is found convenient to arrange the collar block operating control in a slightly diflierent manner.

The folder consists of two laterally spaced folding plates 51 and 52 hinged to'arms 53 and 54, and these in turn arehinged to-central member 55 which'has a transverselyhinged connectiontotable 56. The tablehas a suitablesupporting standard 57 and base 58. The shirt is "folded .by turningthe sleeve ends inwardly over the folding plates, and then; progressively swinging the plates into overlapped .position, the tail portion being transversely folded up over the ends of the plates. 'ticular method and means for folding a shirt is described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,629,520, granted February-24, 1953, toGeorge W. Johnson. The table is cut out,'at 59, to receive'the collar block mounting.

In this embodiment the fixed andmovable guide members 14, 23,24 and 37 are identical with the corresponding members in theprecedingembodiment, so the same reference'numerals have been used, as also the bands 12, 13, 34 an'd35. In the present embodiment, however, the collar block is operated responsive to endwise movement of a-slide bar'17a which corresponds exactly in function 'and'substantially in construction with the slide bar 17 in the priorembodiment.

The bar 17a is biased to the left (Fig. 9 by a tension spring 60 which is attached to any fixed point such as the frame (Fig. 6). In this embodiment also the spring bias tends to expand the collar block. Contraction of the collar block is effected by stepping on foot pedal 62 which is pivoted at 63 on standard 57. A cable 64 passes over rollers 65 and 66 and is connected to slide bar 17a at 67. When the operator steps on pedal 62, therefore, it moves slide bar 17a to the right (Figs. 6, 8 and 9), contracting thecollar' block. The operator then dresses the buttoned collar on the block, with the rear upper edge of the collar under lip 37a (Fig. 5), after which she removes her foot from the pedal, so as to permit spring 60 to expand the collar block and retain the collar thereon.

What I'claim is:

'1. 'In shirt folding mechanism of the type wherein the shirtislaid out, button strip downward, with the collar dressed downwardly, collar block means comprising an internally expandable and contractable form, means for contractingsaid form to permit dressing of the shirt collar thereon and for thereafter expanding said form to conform'in contour to and frictionally grip the inside of the collar, said'form having vertically disposed side walls adapted'to hold the collar in upright position, a stationary memberadjacent an outer rear wall portion of said collar block and disposed to stand within and in contact with the rear: inner wall of said collar, said stationary member having an outturnedlip portion adapted to be dressed "within and above the collar to intercept and retain said collar when in dressed position on-said form.

-2.' Collar block means as'defined in claim 1, and wherein said stationa'rymember is provided with guiding track means adapted to receive, guide, and support a part of said form in sliding relationship.

3. In-shirt foldingrnechanism of the type wherein the shirtislaid" out, button Sstrip downward, with the collar dressed downwardly, collar blockmeans comprising a form internally "expandable and'contractable said This par-' 2,782,981 a g I collar, said form comprisinga plurality of complementary band segments. having mutually adjacent ,portions in sliding interfit, a fixed upstanding portion and an upstanding wall parallel and adjacent thereto at the rear part of said form which receives the rear portion of said collar, said upstanding portion and said upstanding wall defining therebetween a track slot adapted to receive and guide an end portion of one said band segment in sliding relationship during expansion and contraction of said form, the outer rear face of said upstanding wall being adapted to guide an end portion of another band segment insliding relationship, said wall having'a lip flange outturned rearwardly above the last said segment and adapted to frictionally engage and retain the shirt collar when dressed upon said form.

4. In shirt folding mechanism of the type wherein the shirt is laid out, button strip downward, with the collar dressed downwardly, collar block means comprising an internally expandable and contractable form, means for contracting said form topermit-dressing of the shirt collar thereon and'for thereafter expandingsaid form to conform in contour to and frictionally grip the inside of the collar, a stationary member adjacent an outer rear wall portion of said collarblock and disposed to stand within and in contact with the rear inner wall of said collar, said stationary member having an outturned lip portion adapted to be dressed within and above the collar to intercept and retain said collar when in dressed position on said form, said-form comprising a plurality of complementary band segments partially overlapped and expandable and contractable insliding interfit, and wherein said stationary member has an upstanding portion with a guide slot therein adapted to receive and guide a part of one said band segment during expansion and contraction of said form.

5. In shirt folding mechanism of the type wherein the shirt is laid out, button strip downward, with the collar dressed downwardly, collar-block means comprising an internally expandable and contractable form, means for contracting said form to permit dressing of the shirt collar thereon and for thereafter expanding said form to conform in contour to and frictionally grip the inside of the collar, a stationary member adjacent an outer rear wall portion of said collar block and disposed to stand within and in contact with the rear inner wall of said collar, said stationary member having an outturned lip portion adapted to be dressed within and above the collar to intercept and retain said collar when in dressed position on said form, said form comprising a plurality of complementary band segments having mutually adjacent portions in sliding interfit, and wherein said stationary member has an upstanding portion with a fixed wall parallel thereto to define therebetween a track slot adapted to receive a portion-of said -form in sliding relationship during expansion and contraction thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES-PATENTS 1,466,692. Boyuls Sept. 4, 1923 1,469,743 Waream et'al Oct. 2, 1923 2,504,934 Luke Apr. 18, 1950 

